Mayoral Foes' War Chests Were Similar * But Victor Cunningham, Opposed In Primary, Had Less To Spend In General Election.

December 05, 1997|by TRACY JORDAN, The Morning Call

The winner of the Bethlehem mayoral race, Democrat Don Cunningham, had less money to spend in the general election, but overall, he and his Republican opponent, Otto Ehrsam, raised nearly the same amount of money for their campaigns.

Ehrsam, however, supplemented his campaign with a loan to his committee for $6,750, which he listed on campaign expense reports filed Thursday in Northampton County's election bureau as an unpaid debt.

Post-election expense reports for the Oct. 21 to Nov. 24 period show Cunningham ended the campaign with a cash balance of $3,480, while Ehrsam ended his campaign with about $1,000 in cash and the $6,750 debt owed to himself.

The candidates, both city councilman, filed four campaign expense reports since January.

They show Cunningham started the campaign with $2,113, raised $55,810 and spent $54,443, and Ehrsam started the campaign with $1,800, raised $51,485 and spent $52,291.

Cunningham, however, spent about $16,000 or 27.8 percent of his available funds, during the May primary to defeat Northampton County Councilwoman Cindy Marakovits.

Ehrsam, who was unopposed for his party's nomination, spent about 5.7 percent or $3,078 of his campaign funds in the primary.

This put Ehrsam in good financial position going into the general election. But despite the edge that allowed Ehrsam to spend nearly $11,000 more than Cunningham between June 10 and Nov. 24, Cunningham captured more than 60 percent of the votes to win.

Cunningham will be sworn into office Jan. 5. Ehrsam, a Bethlehem Steel Corp. retiree, will leave council after 20 years on the same day.

The most recent campaign expense reports show Ehrsam started the reporting period with $15,441 and Cunningham had $22,266.

They also show Ehrsam raised $14,140 and spent $28,587 while Cunningham raised $10,550 and spent $29,335 between Oct. 21 and Nov. 24.

Of the contributions Ehrsam received, the largest was the $6,750 loan to his committee.

Cunningham's largest contribution -- $1,500 -- came from the campaign committee of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, who came to Bethlehem to endorse Cunningham.

Ashley Development Co. President Louis P. Pektor III, who is developing the former Orr's Department Store in downtown Bethlehem, played both sides of the fence with a $300 contribution to Cunningham and a $250 contribution to Ehrsam.

Cunningham also received a $300 contribution from Ashley Development's vice president, Richard H. Brooks of Allentown.

Contributions of note to Ehrsam's campaign included $250 from Northampton County Council candidate L. Jack Bradt and $300 from Bethlehem Assistant Solicitor Paul Florenz, whom Cunningham plans to replace.

On the expense side of the report, Cunningham, spread his campaign contributions among several printers and advertisers, with the largest payment of $4,500 to Ackley Advertising of Allentown for radio ads.

The Democrats for Ehrsam committee spearheaded by Bethlehem architect Bob Spillman also filed a campaign report Thursday. It showed the committee raised $630 and paid $495 to Corsa Communications, leaving a balance of $135.